Globgums, Male Myconid Avenger
Crick, Female Elf Ranger + Fjord, Dire Wolf Animal Companion
Egnarts, Male Human Sorcerer + Daughter Tina
Enuffdain, Male Elf Paladin
Datura, Female Wilden Bard
Waldyr, Male Half-Elf Ranger
Absent:
Lupin Damakos, Female Tiefling Rouge
Hundreds of people always seem to be surrounding The Heroes. Strangers come up to them slapping them on their backs and shaking their hands. The Heroes are somewhat taken aback as villager after villager congratulates them on, even admiring, the way they killed friends and family members during the fight at the Inn (see Chapter 4).
The Heroes begin to suspect that Tina is hiding something. Tina tells them that the town is mad. That they are looking for Adventurers to compete in an arena (all of this could have been revealed in Chapter 4 if they had just questioned her instead of causing a riot). Egnarts begins to question the Warrior Woman, Victoria Van Dyke, on what the Festival is about. Victoria boast that the festival celebrates life. That it culls the weak and unworthy, and only the strongest and most deserving survive. The Heroes try to sneak away, but the tightly packed throngs keep them in place. At that moment, the incense seems to be getting stronger; the lights start to swirl and The Heroes all drift into a deep slumber.
The sunlight is blinding and the roar of the crowd deafening as The Heroes find themselves rising into the arena. On the far side of the arena, the companions/slaves are raised. The arena is a huge octagon with an enormous spinning blade in the center. Four blue orbs on pedestals pulsating with energy sit in four of the corners. Victoria proclaims that the games begin and doors on both sides rise.
The Heroes are taking a beating when Datura and Enuf come up with a plan. They teleport to the top of the pivot of the spinning blades, where Enuf cast a spell on the white Ape that compels him to only be able to attack him. Thinking that it would send the Ape into the blades, they are shocked when the Ape leaps upon one of the blades and advances toward them (he's played this rodeo before). The Maws and other Ape continue to vex the rest of The Heroes. Fjord is brought to zero hit points (the first of many this night). Crick took much damage from a Maw, but between her and Tina, they manage to shove one into the blades. Waldyn was dishing out INCREDIBLE amounts of damage with his bow (40+ each time) (it was soon discovered that he was using the wrong stats, but he still continued to deliver an impressive amount of damage). Enuf and Datura battle the Ape and finally force him into the blades. Slowly, the tide begins to turn and the Heroes defeat the rest of the monsters one by one.
Waldyn is knocked to the ground, about to be trampled to death, when Crick takes control of the Triceratops (renaming him Buttons) and literally locks horns with the rampaging Minotaur, shoving him away from Waldyr. Champion is livid, he jumps back on the Triceratops and begins to fight Crick for control. He is knocked off again and The Heroes surround and kill him.
Fjord had taken a beating and had to be brought back to life twice. Datura battles the Marauder and lets the spinning blade finish him when she tricks him into it. Egnarts has a brilliant idea of antagonizing Victoria with her brother's dead body until she enters the arena. He sticks Champion's body into the spinning blades, then mocks her by waving his decapitated head at her (Egnarts is a sick bastard).
Enraged beyond belief, Victoria leaps into the arena (the energy field only works one way). Landing on the Triceratops, she begins to battle Crick striking her again and again. Fearful that Victoria would gain control of the Triceratops from the bloodied Crick, the other Heroes urge her to steer into the spinning blades. With tears in her eyes, Crick veers into the spinning blades, a whispered "good bye Buttons" on her lips. The blades chop into the Triceratops like a butcher knife into a slab of meat, and comes to a sudden, sputtering stop. Buttons is killed instantly. The impact sends Crick and Victoria flying to the ground. Globgums and Enuf heal Waldyr and Fjord. The Minotaur strikes down Crick and Victoria attacks Egnarts. Enuf had one last healing spell left for Crick. |
P.S.: I have used "Triceratops" more times in this recap than I, or any normal person, would ever expect to have used in a lifetime.
Next: Chapter 6 - Life and Death Part 2
Previous: Chapter 4 - Out of the Fish, Into the Fire